Central Synagogue

Central Synagogue is one of America’s largest Reform congregations, home to roughly 3,700 families in Midtown Manhattan. Its reach extends far beyond its walls, with tens of thousands livestreaming weekly services and hundreds of thousands tuning in for the High Holidays. A self-described “big tent,” it holds up joy, compassion, and social action as pillars of a holy life.

Small Group Vision: Wisdom Circles

Central Synagogue is launching eight Wisdom Circles, each built around a shared affinity or life stage. They include women contemplating wise aging, men and women navigating their next chapter, physicians, parents not raised Jewish who are raising Jewish children, and a global online group of members under 50. Circles of 8–12 meet monthly for 90 minutes from September through May. The year opens with a kickoff dinner and closes with an all-group celebration.

Six circles meet in hosts’ homes and two meet on Zoom. Recruitment is deliberately data-driven: the synagogue uses member data to identify people who have shown some interest but haven’t yet found their home in the community. Each invitation is personal, and a short commitment step comes before registration, so participants arrive ready to stay for the full year.

Central Synagogue sees Jewish wisdom as an inheritance, ancient and modern, that each generation renews for its own time

Accessible Jewish Wisdom

This pilot explores what actionable Jewish wisdom looks like in practice. Central Synagogue sees Jewish wisdom as an inheritance, ancient and modern, that each generation renews for its own time. Every circle follows the same arc: study a text, draw out its wisdom, connect it to participants’ lives, and close with a concrete commitment the group revisits the following month.

The curriculum is matched to each group. Some circles use Hillel’s Ask Big Questions or the Wise Aging curriculum, and others draw from a sermon bank, Midrash and Medicine, or Senior Rabbi Angela Buchdahl’s memoir. Sessions are likely to open with the blessing Central Synagogue traditionally says before Torah study, and music may help ease participants into the space. The aims are real growth in each person’s life, a few close friendships, and a stronger sense of belonging at Central.

Peer Leadership Model

Each in-person circle pairs a facilitator, who leads the conversation and the content, with a host, who handles hospitality, follows up with anyone who missed a session, and backs up the facilitator. Leaders were recruited through targeted outreach rather than an open call. A half-day training covers four skill areas: inclusive participation, deepening learning, navigating disagreement, and moving the group toward action. Hosts get dedicated time to plan for their own role.

Facilitators work one-on-one with a rabbi to shape their curriculum. Those using the same materials are connected with each other for peer support, and everyone gathers mid-year and at the close to share feedback. The model is “more tight than loose” this year, so the synagogue can learn whether it’s ready to scale.

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